In His Eyes
by Kowareta1468
Summary: The guild is still mourning over the death of Gray, so how can a new member cheer them up so easily? How can Lucy fall in love when she had to watch her teammate die in front of her only a week before? To no one's surprise, this boy has a surprising secret, and Lucy figures it out. When she does, everything changes for the better. GraLu.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone! Thanks for taking the time to check out my story and I hope that you enjoy!**

 **Inspiration: This plot has been on my list to write for a while now, and I think the prompts for GraLu Week work nicely with it. I never intended on this being along story, so it wasn't hard to make it only seven chapters. It may seem a little rushed at places, hopefully not too bad, though. The chapters are loosely based on the prompts. I want you all to leave a review telling me where I mentioned the prompt. If you do I'll give you a special shout-out in the next chapter!**

 **Pairing: OCxLucy and GraLu. (You'll understand soon enough.)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail!**

 **Dedication: This story is dedicated to my amazing beta reader! I wouldn't be able to do what I do without you!**

 **Please Review!**

* * *

 _ **Myth**_

"What about this one?" Lucy hummed, pointing to a job on the request board. "We just have to recover a stolen necklace. It shouldn't be too hard."

Gray wrapped his arms around Lucy's waist and put his chin on her shoulder, making her giggle. "That looks perfect." He planted a kiss on the crook of her neck. "Go give it to Mira."

Lucy walked away, a bounce in her step. Gray smiled as he watched her head towards the bar. He then went to sit with Natsu, Gajeel, and Elfman.

"You're really into her, huh, Ice Prince?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah, I am." Gray looked back at Lucy again. Her face lit up and she laughed at something Mira was saying.

"You've only been together two months," Gajeel said, shaking his head. "You're really close, gihi."

"Love is manly!" Elfman called out.

"They say you only get one chance at love," Gray said, turning back to his friends. "Is it crazy of me to think that this is it?"

"That's just a myth," Natsu said, shaking his head. "There's always a chance you'll break up, and if you do then there's a good chance you'll find someone else, too."

"Wow, thanks, Natsu," Gray said, rolling his eyes. "Just because Lisanna left you after one week doesn't mean it'll happen to us, anyways." He received a glare.

"Gray!" Lucy sang, sitting down beside him. "Mira cleared the mission. We can go to my house, eat lunch real quick, then be there by three." She stood up and kissed his cheek. "I'll meet you at my place." She then left, leaving Gray smiling once again.

"Lunch, huh?" Gajeel asked. "Gihi."

Gray rolled his eyes and stood up. "I'll see you guys after we get back from the mission, tomorrow night at the latest."

"Try not to have too much fun before you go!" Natsu called.

Gray rolled his eyes, not letting the cat-calls get to him. He was by far used to it.

X

"How much longer do you think until we get there?" Lucy asked, running her finger along his chest and abs. She was sitting beside him with her legs draped over his.

"Probably another twenty minutes," Gray said, smiling down at his girlfriend. "You're so beautiful." He wove his fingers into her hair.

Lucy blushed and sat up so she was in his lap. She put her forehead against his. "You say that way too often," she laughed.

"No, I don't say it enough," Gray argued.

In seconds they were kissing. They were groping, biting, and sucking anywhere they could, laughing and giggling every so often. Gray had lost his shirt long ago, and soon Lucy lost hers, too. Her bra soon followed, and she moaned at the feeling of their bare skin against each other.

The loud siren went off, signaling that the train had arrived at their destination. Gray and Lucy both groaned in annoyance and quickly changed. Lucy put the small backpack they shared on and they stepped off the train, their hands in each other's back pockets.

After a short walk, they met with their client. The job was just as simple as the flier let on. A necklace was stolen and they had to find it. It was suspected that the necklace was taken and hidden as a prank, the location most likely being one of the many caves and hidden in the forests south of town.

After only twenty minutes of searching, with Loke helping, the three found the cave. They could see a shimmer a few feet in. Getting closer, they saw that it was in fact the necklace they were sent to find.

"I'll go grab it," Gray announced. "It may be a trap, and if it is I want you to stay where it's safe, Luce."

"Wait," Loke said, holding his arm out. "Let me come with you then."

The two boys went forward. They were a step outside the cave, looking around the inside. It looked safe to them, so they stepped forward.

Lucy was watching from a few feet back. Looking at the cave, she noticed that it looked a little too clean. The dirt and leaves looked as if someone placed them there. Realizing it was in fact a trap, she called out to them. "Wait!"

She didn't yell in time. Loke and Gray stepped down on the leaves. Instantly, there was an explosion. Loke grabbed Gray and dove as far away from the cave as he could, but he wasn't fast enough. Flames and smoke surrounded them. Loke disappeared in a flash back to the Spirit World.

Lucy watched in horror. She brought her hands up, trying to keep the smoke out of her face. When it all cleared, the only thing there was Gray's tattered shirt, which he managed to keep on the whole mission. Tears poured down her cheeks as sobs left her lips.

" _Gray!"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Did anyone else have an issue with FanFiction? I couldn't review, favorite/follow stories, or access my account.**

 **Day 2 of GraLu Week! Yay!**

 **Shutout** **to CelestialTitania for finding the connection with the last prompt to the last chapter. If you review where "tattoo" comes into play you'll be featured in the next chapter! Whoever guesses/reviews the most will get a prize at the end!**

 **Please Review!**

* * *

 _ **Tattoo**_

When Lucy had stumbled through the guildhall in tears later that fateful day, everyone was too shocked for words. Mira and Levy quickly moved to comfort the girl, too shocked to actually respond to the news. Natsu, Gajeel, Laxus, and Makarov quickly left to go investigate the scene and found nothing, not even the necklace. Loke had appeared later after he had recovered and said that he didn't know what happened to Gray's body, since he disappeared only seconds after the blast. The news left Lucy in shambles.

She had went through the stages of grief at an alarming rate. The next day at the guild, she came in with a bright smile, saying that Gray was just messing with all of them and he'd be there later, laughing at them for all falling for his joke. The following day she went around cursing Loke's existence, even summoning him just to scream at him. After that she began to blame herself, saying how she should have checked the cave more carefully.

Now, the blonde was slumped at the bar, swirling her straw through the strawberry milkshake she wasn't about to drink. She's been in the depression stage for a couple days at that point, finally joining everyone else in sadness. Since they never found Gray's body, they didn't have a funeral, mostly due to high hopes that he would, in fact, return. There wasn't a very good chance that would happen, though, so not having a funeral without his body was mostly a respect thing and to give them all more time to cope with the idea of his death. Lucy did keep his shirt, though. It was sitting on her desk at home.

"Any good jobs?" Natsu asked Mira.

The bartender sighed as she set the glass she was polishing down on the bar. "Natsu, you've already gone on three jobs this week. Will you take a break?" She lowered her voice considerably. "Will you just admit to yourself that you miss him instead of hurting yourself like this?"

"Like hell I will!" Natsu yelled, slamming his fist on the counter. "I don't have to miss him because he is going to come back!" He was the only one that didn't believe Gray was gone.

Oddly enough, the guild doors opened the moment Natsu finished his little fit. Everyone gasped and looked to the doors, wondering if it really was Gray. They soon discovered that it wasn't him. A man did step forward, though, straight towards Mira. He had thin black hair that reached past his shoulders, bright purple eyes, a built frame, no shoes, and shredded pants that looked like they would fall off his body any second. A black katana with stars on the sheath was strapped to his side.

"Wh-what can I do for you, sir?" Mira stuttered, taken aback by the man's attractiveness. Although she was used to seeing all the gorgeous Fairy Tail men, this mystery guy wasn't family or an old face she's seen every day. His purple eyes were just stunning. Lucy was even looking in interest.

"I would like to speak to your guild master," he spoke smoothly.

"That'd be me," Makarov said, walking along the bar counter towards the unknown man. "What can I do for you?"

"I would like to join this guild," he said sternly.

"And your name?" Makarov asked kindly.

"Blake Hikari," he answered.

Mira nudged Lucy. "Hikari meaning light, huh?" she hummed. Lucy just giggled at that. Blake was also a pretty cute name.

"And what magic do you possess?" Makarov asked in curiosity. "I see you fight with a sword."

Blake nodded. "I combine spells embodying the stars and heavens with my sword to purge opponents," he said with such a passion in his voice half the girls in the guild swooned.

"Mira, give him a mark," Makarov said.

"On my chest," Blake said, pointing to his right pectoral. "Black."

Mira nodded, mildly surprised that he asked for the same as Gray had. Purely a coincidence, though. Other members in the guild had it there, as well. She shook the ridiculous thoughts from her head and gave him his mark. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, Blake. If there's _anything_ you need, don't hesitate to ask me," she said with a wink.

"Listen up, Brats!" Makarov yelled, suddenly up on the balcony. "I believe that this is our sign to start to move on from our sadness. We have a new member in our ranks, so let's party!"

It took a few minutes, but slowly everyone began to party just as they used to. Blake was being thrown around, everyone either asking him questions or flirting with him. Lucy was pulled aside by Makarov during it all, though, to see if she would let Blake stay with her. She thought it was odd that he asked her at first, but she realized that he was trying to help her get over Gray's death, since he knew it hit her the hardness. With that reasoning, there was no way that she could say no.

Lucy didn't stick around long. She soon escorted Blake home. It was quite obvious that he needed a haircut and some new clothes, so she wanted to get him settled so they could take care of that.

"You're home is beautiful, Lucy," Blake said the moment they stepped inside.

"Thank you," she responded, blushing. "So, um, there's just this room, the bathroom, and the kitchen. You can take the bed while I sleep on the couch." She pulled her keys from her pocket. After summoning Cancer, she looked back to her guest. "Cancer can cut your hair however you'd like. I can tell the length is bothering you." She left the room to go get some tea.

"Thank you," Blake said, sitting at her desk. Cancer was right behind him. "Just take an inch or two off."

Lucy was in the kitchen, filling her kettle with water to heat on the stove. She went over to the cabinet that had all the tea. She looked through the different kinds, wondering what Blake would enjoy. Her heart stopped when she found Gray's. He always had the pine needle tea shipped in from where he used to live when he was with Ur. He said that they only made it in that town and it was the best. She had never tried it herself, but now she was going to. She put a packet in each mug and poured some water in them.

When she went back into the main room, she was very surprised to see Blake with his hair much like Gray's but maybe an inch longer. She let out a shaky breath and set the mugs on the coffee table. "This is pine needle tea. I've never tried it, so we'll have to see if it's good or not," she said.

"Pine needle is my favorite!" Blake beamed, happily picking up the mug. He took a sip, smiling in delight. "I usually like my tea cold, but this is great. Thank you."

Lucy nodded, feeling another pang in her chest. Did he _have_ to love the same kind of tea as Gray did and like it cold, as well? She was really hoping that there weren't more similarities between them. She might just go insane if there were.

"Virgo brought me some clothes while you were in the kitchen," Blake said, motioning to himself.

Lucy hadn't noticed, but he was now wearing a blue cotton shirt and black jeans. They looked good on him. She was pretty happy that Virgo didn't bring him weird clothes like she always did. Her clothes were usually cute, but Gray always got odd clothing. She cursed herself for thinking of him again. She didn't plan on crying in front of Blake, but she just might have to if she continues thinking of Gray. It was just too much.

"I guess I'll get dressed for bed, as well," she said, standing up to go over to her closet. She hadn't touched her tea. She truly planned on it, but after Blake said he loved it she just couldn't.

Crouching down in front of her closet, she began looking through the small tub of night clothes she had. Most of them were pretty revealing, but she wanted to find a decent one. When her fingers touched white material, she gasped. "Impossible," she muttered. Pulling out the coat, she realized that it was Gray's. Her eyes widened in horror. Just before _that_ mission he had complained about losing his coat. She just called him an idiot because he would take it off anyways, but he seemed to actually be worried. It was as if he knew and didn't want to leave this world without wearing it one last time.

"Lucy?" Blake asked, walking over to her. "Are you alright?" He rested a hand on her shoulder, making her gasp again and turn to look at him. A few tears slipped from her eyes, despite trying to hold them back. "Whoa, what happened?" He looked to the coat in her hands. He had remembered Makarov saying something about the guild moving on from their sadness. _Did someone die? Was that the person's coat?_

"I...I'm fine!" Lucy blurted out. She grabbed the first thing she touched and brushed past him to go change. He grabbed her wrist, stopping her from going anywhere. "Let me go!" she screamed, falling down to the ground.

In a flash, Loke was between Lucy and Blake. His hands were glowing, ready to attack the intruder. He looked surprised at who was "attacking" his master. "Gray?" he whispered in shock.

"You must be Leo, Leader of the Zodiacs," Blake said, holding his hand out. "My name is Blake Hikari. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Loke numbly shook his hand. He couldn't even remember why he came out in the first place. He had first thought Gray was standing there, but the hair and eyes were so different. They had similar scents, though. Then again, the scent of pine tea was in the air, so it could have been that.

Lucy had took the time to go change. She realized that she had grabbed a pair of booty shorts and a flyaway top. She sighed, realizing she would be showing more skin than she planned.

She stared at the clothing, her thoughts wandering back to Gray. The night they went on their first date he showed up in the middle of the night afterwards, saying he couldn't wait another minute to see her again. He ended up spending the night. He took the time to comment about her outfit. It was like the one she had in her hands, just a different color.

She realized that there was no way she'd forget about Gray by not thinking about him. The only way she'd get over him is to just move on. It was certainly much easier said than done, but it was the only way. She had a lot of great times with Gray, even before dating him, and it just wasn't fair to him to try to forget everything all together. It was best for her to just be happy about the time they had.

Lucy left her bathroom and grabbed a spare blanket and pillow from her closet. Loke already left and Blake was sitting on her couch, no doubt waiting for her. She took a deep breath. "These are for you," she said, setting them beside him. "Tomorrow we can go shopping for you or hang out at the guild. Whatever you want."

"Thanks," Blake said, flashing a charming smile.

Lucy's heart clenched. Gray had the same smile. She wasn't going to stop the thought, though. She let herself fall asleep, that beautiful smile on her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**So this is Day 3 of GraLu Week.**

 **Shout-out** **to Mysteria Mystar'i, faithful2kh, and Celestial Titania for getting the connection in the last chapter. Make sure to comment the connection in this one!**

 **So today is a very special day! It's my Beta Reader's birthday :) I'm so lucky to have her. So happy birthday to the amazing girl that I'm happy to call my friend, even with our age difference. I hope she had a great day! Give her some love, you guys!**

 **Please leave a review!**

* * *

 _ **Meeting the Family/Parents**_

It was late afternoon when Lucy and Blake finally made it to the guild. They had spent the day shopping. Blake picked up a couple outfits and Lucy even got something. After dropping their things off at the apartment, the two made their way to the guild. When they got there, Lucy saw a familiar face on the roof.

"You can go ahead in," Lucy told Blake. "There's a party, actually. One of our members, Katie, is celebrating her birthday today. You don't want to miss a Fairy Tail Birthday Party."

He quickly looked between Lucy and the man on the roof, not sure if he should leave her outside, then made his way inside the Guildhall. She climbed up to the roof once he was gone and sat down.

"I didn't think it was true," the man said, dropping his head. "The news spread in only a day, but I couldn't accept it until I saw it myself. I told myself that there was no way that my brother could die. No way!"

"Lyon," Lucy sighed, a tear slipping down her cheek. Everyone at the guild had said Gray's death hit her the hardest, but what about his family? Lyon didn't even get an explanation. He just heard from the news that his adoptive brother was killed.

Lyon was crying, but he wasn't ashamed to be. He didn't bother wiping his eyes or nose or muffling his sobs. "Tell me about Gray."

Lucy's eyes widened a fraction.

He looked up to Lucy, their eyes locking. "I haven't seen him in so long. You two were dating. What was he like towards the end?"

Lucy looked out beyond the buildings at the setting sky. "He was goofy and could always make me laugh."

" _Lucy, look!" Gray shoved two straws behind his upper lip. "I'm a walrus!_

"He was overprotective at times."

" _Stop staring! She's mine!"_

"And he'd do anything for his friends and family."

" _I'll go grab it," Gray announced. "It may be a trap, and if it is I want you to stay where it's safe, Luce."_

Without any warning, a choking sob left Lucy's lips and she brought a hand to her mouth, feeling as if she was going to throw up. She could hear the explosion, feel the heat of the fire. When she was trying to forget about Gray, this memory left her, but now it was back.

Lyon realized that she must be remembering when Gray died. He wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry onto him. Just listening to her sobs made him cry, knowing already that he died a horrible death.

From below, Levy, Mira, and Blake watched with sad eyes. When Blake came in without Lucy, saying she was on the roof with a man he's never seen, Mira and Levy quickly went outside. They knew that the man was Lyon, but they wanted to make sure they were both okay. It was obvious what they would talk about, but their reactions to the conversation was unknown to them. Seeing how broken the two were was hard.

"I'm sorry to ask, but who was this guy that died?" Blake asked, making the two girls wince. "Someone died, right? I know I've only been here two days but I'm starting to pick up this."

Mira nodded. "Gray has been with us since he was a young child. He and Lucy dated for a couple months, but they were extremely close. We could all see them lasting forever. But Gray died last week. Lucy is sitting with his adoptive brother, Lyon. Gray and Lyon trained under the same person to learn their magic. That was long ago, of course, but they recently became close again. It's hard for both of them to face Gray's death."

"That's terrible," Blake said, his eyes full of wonder. "I don't have any family, so I can't understand what you're all going through, but I can see that it's a painful thing."

"You don't have any family?" Levy asked. "Did your parents die?"

Blake shook his head. "I don't have parents. I never did," he said, confusion on his features.

Mira and Levy exchanged looks. "You have to have parents," Mira said. "It's impossible not to."

"What do you remember of your childhood?" Levy asked. "Maybe you just forgot about them."

"I remember darkness," Blake said slowly. "Then light, power, my name, waking up along the river here in Magnolia."

Mira and Levy's eyes widened. They weren't sure what kind of past Blake had, but it was probably best to let Makarov know about what Blake had told them.

"Maybe we should go inside, give them some privacy," Mira said quickly, pushing Blake back inside, Levy following close behind.

When the three made it back into the guildhall, Lucy relaxed, letting out a sigh. She lazily ran her fingers along the spot where Lyon's hair met his neck. She was happy to finally have someone to comfort her, someone who fully understand what she was going through. Mira had tried to help Lucy, but since Lisanna was back, Mira lost the sense to fully understand the loss of someone dear. Gray's death had hit Cana pretty hard, but it was nothing compared to what Lucy was feeling. Natsu was still in denial, and Juvia just ran around yelling that her "precious Gray-sama" was gone. Lyon was the only one who was right there, feeling the same emotions at the same levels.

Lucy had been listening to Mira, Levy, and Blake. She could hear in their voices that they were slowly moving on. Blake was just learning what happened with Gray. It was hard to imagine that he couldn't remember anything but darkness. It was quite curious, something she'd have to look into.

It wasn't important at the moment, though.

"Thank you," Lyon said, hugging Lucy just a little tighter. "Thank you for being there for him when I wasn't, letting him feel loved."

Lucy shook her head, more tears falling. "Gray knew you loved him," she said. "He always talked about going to see you, but the timing just wasn't right."

Lyon finally let Lucy go, but he stayed close enough that their legs were touching. "I don't remember my parents at all," he said. "You lost your mother and now Gray. Your father might as well be dead, from what I hear. You're so incredibly strong, yet right now you're probably more hurt than I am. That's how I know how much you loved Gray. You may move on with your life, find someone else, but I know that there will always be a place in your heart for Gray, and for that I'm eternally grateful."

Lucy pulled Lyon to her again, once again crying on his shoulder. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she chanted. She felt as if with Lyon, there on Fairy Tail's rooftop, she could let all the emotions she had been bottling up out. A great weight was being lifted off her shoulders. She was one step closer to accepting Gray's death and moving on from all the sadness and grief.

X

The moment Blake's head hit the pillow, he fell fast asleep.

" _Blake."_

 _He heard the voice, but he could only see darkness._

" _That will be your new name, Blake Hikari."_

 _There was suddenly a bright flash._

" _Take this sword and live a new life. Your past is behind you. You don't need any of it."_

 _He finally found his voice. "How did I get here?" he asked._

" _That is not important. You died in a past life and for some reason the Heavens are giving you another chance. Do not waste time thinking about it, just be grateful."_

 _The booming voice laughed, the sound echoing off the bright light._


	4. Chapter 4

**This is kind of late in the day, simply because I was at work until now!**

 **Good job to everyone who pointed out the connection in the last chapter. Keep reviewing, because whoever guesses the most gets a special prize!**

* * *

 _ **Newlyweds**_

Blake woke with a start. He looked around the room, trying to process where he was. He saw a coffee table, the entryway to a kitchen, a closed door, a desk, and a bed. It didn't' take long to realize that he was in Lucy's apartment. He looked back to the bed and saw two people laying there. Lucy was sound asleep, laying on her back. Beside her, Lyon was sitting up. He would blow on his hand and snowflakes would shower Lucy, making her mumble in her sleep.

"What are you doing?" Blake asked quietly, not wanting to wake Lucy.

Lyon flushed, realizing that he was caught. "I'm just teasing Lucy," he explained.

"I didn't even know that you spent the night," Blake said. He yawned and scratched his head.

"You fell asleep as soon as we got here," Lyon said with a light chuckle. "Lucy told me I should stay for a couple days. I think it'd be good for both of us, so I'm going to." He closed his hand tight. When he opened it again, a small lion leapt out and laid down on Lucy's forehead.

 _Bam!_

Blake and Lyon both perked up, looking towards the kitchen. Then they looked at each other and nodded, showing that they both heard the noise. Blake stood up and grabbed his katana, which was resting on the coffee table beside him. He held his free hand out. "Hydrus!" he called, keeping his tone below a whisper.

Wisps of light emerged from his sheathed katana, making Lyon's eyes go wide. The ribbons shot towards the kitchen. They heard a hiss, and a moment later the ribbons came back wrapped around a man. After a moment inspection, Lyon's eyes widened. "Loke?" he asked.

Loke seemed just as surprised. "I didn't know you were here, Lyon. I was just going to make Lucy breakfast. I didn't think anyone would be up at this hour," he explained. He looked to Blake. "Is this Hydrus?"

Blake nodded slowly, recalling his spell. The light went back to the blade. The katana glowed for a moment before turning to its normal color. He set it back on the coffee table.

"That's a spell the Celestial Spirit King uses," Loke noted. "How is it that you know it? Even Celestial Wizards aren't taught His spells."

Blake shrugged. "I didn't know I could use it until I did. I just knew that those words would give me the power I needed."

Loke's eyes narrowed. He was becoming more and more suspicious of Blake.

Lucy groaned, drawing everyone's attention to her. She wiggled a little before turning over, facing Lyon. He could see a cold sweat breaking out over her forehead. She let out a gasp and started moving around more.

"She's having another nightmare," Loke said, moving towards her. He sat down beside her and pulled her head into his lap. She seemed to calm down enough to sleep peacefully. "I'm almost glad that I don't dream, or else my mind would be filled with that night, as well."

"I have nightmares and I didn't even hear the whole story," Lyon laughed.

Blake looked at Lucy closely. He didn't even know her that well, but seeing her upset made it feel like someone was driving a dagger into his heart.

X

Later at the guildhall, Makarov announced that Gildarts was coming home. The walls were put up around the city, and minutes later the door flew open. Gildarts stood there, a wide smile on his face. Surprising everyone, there was a girl under his arm.

"Who is that?" Blake asked.

"That's Gildarts Clive," Mira explained. "Cana's father."

"Gildarts!" Makarov called. "You finished your mission already?" He looked at the girl up and down as the two came closer to him. "I don't remember the flier saying you get a striking woman as a reward!"

The woman had olive skin and her long brown hair tied into a pony-tail, shorter strands framing her face. The parts of her body that were exposed were covered in tattoo's, her face even having a couple. There was an aura around her that just screamed of her danger and temper.

Gildarts blushed, shocking everyone. "Harcos Haruki," he introduced the woman beside him. "She's been helping with me on my mission for the past five years."

"The flier did say something about a partner aiding him," Mira reminded Makarov. She could see the confusion on his face fade away. She then smiled to Gildarts. "So are you two dating?"

"Actually," Gildarts laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "We're married."

There was a loud slam. Everyone turned to see Cana stalk forward. She grabbed the front of her father's shirt. "You think you can just go and marry whoever without asking me?" Tears started running down her cheeks. "You can't just decide things like that! You can't just decide life-decisions without talking about it first, or you might wind up dead!"

"Cana," Makarov said sharply. She flinched. "Please don't let your emotions stop you from supporting your father. And please don't make this about Gray."

"Gray?" Gildarts asked. He noticed how the guild went silent. "What happened to Gray?" Looking closing, he realized the boy wasn't there.

"May I speak with you in my office?" Makarov asked. "A lot has happened since you've been here last."

As the two left, Harcos made her way to the bar. "I'll take the hardest thing you got," she said, taking a seat. Mira put a glass of whiskey in front of the woman. She drank it in one sip. "The whole bottle will do."

Cana smiled wide. "Mira, get us two barrels over here and keep 'em coming!"

Lucy laughed lightly as she watched Cana and her new stepmother have a drinking contest. She was happy that Cana finally found her match. Her face dropped, thinking about perfect matches. She had thought Gray was her perfect match, but he left.

"Hey," Blake said, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Do you want to go take a walk?" He didn't think everyone talking about a new married couple was the best environment for Lucy.

Lucy nodded, and the two left. No one followed them, sensing that they needed their space. The two walked through Magnolia and to one of the less popular parks. They sat in the grass by the pond there. She watched the koi fish swimming around.

"I know this is hard for you," Blake said. "I'm here for you, okay? I may not know what it's like to lose someone but that doesn't mean you have to suffer alone."

Lucy looked up at him. She blushed when she saw how close they were. Her heart began to flutter. She cursed herself for getting worked up so easy. It was just Blake. Just Blake who likes Pine Tea. Just Blake who had the Heavens in his eyes. Just Blake who could make her smile without even trying. Just Blake who smelled like Gray.

With every thought, they seemed to get a little closer, her heart pounding in her chest. When their lips almost touched, she hesitated. Blake let his fingers find their way into her hair, all hesitation slipping away. And when they kissed, it was like electricity was flowing through them. Not just any electricity, but the kind felt when kissing someone you truly love.

Lucy couldn't help but think of Gray. She thought of how when they'd kiss he'd always pull her as close as possible, how he'd stop to whisper sweet words in her ear. She could feel the raw emotion coming from, his willingness to give her the world.

Blake broke their kiss off and put his chin on her shoulder, his breath tickling her ear. "You're so beautiful, Luce," he told her .

That was enough for Lucy. She pushed him back and got on top of him, kissing him with intensity that she had only ever shown Gray. There was no doubt in her mind now. Somehow when Loke covered Gray from the explosion, he took them both to the Spirit World. Somehow, Gray had come back to her. She had no other explanation for the similarities between Gray and Blake, the way they both made her feel safe and made her heart flutter.

All her worries seemed to slip away. That fateful mission never happened. She and Lyon never sat on Fairy Tail's roof, mourning the loss of the most important person in both their lives. Blake never came to Fairy Tail, because he was Gray all along. Gray never died, he simply just took a vacation to the Spirit World and came back looking slightly different without his memories.

The world disappeared and it was just Lucy and Blake by the pond, Lucy and Gray kissing.

There was not one doubt in Lucy's heart.


	5. Chapter 5

**A bit of love in this chapter.**

 **Please Review!**

* * *

 _ **Smile**_

"I'll clean up," Lyon announced, picking up some of the empty plates and taking them to the sink.

"No, let me help, you're my guest," Lucy said, scrambling to pick things up, too.

Lyon shot her a look, forcing her to set the dishes back down. "I'm not just your guest," he said. He grabbed a few more dishes and smiled. "You're my sister."

Lucy smiled a real smile. She wasn't sad about Gray anymore. After being in the park with Blake they both came back. Blake entertained himself in her living room while she started dinner. Lyon came by just as she was finishing up and they all sat down to eat. The whole time Lucy smiled, happy that she could have dinner with Lyon and Gray.

She wasn't sure if she was crazy for just letting Blake take Gray's place. She definitely would have thought so any other time, but they were so much alike. Their stories matched up, too. Blake appears right after Gray dies, not remembering anything of his past. It was almost too much of a coincidence.

"Can I talk to you?" Blake asked, grabbing Lucy's arm. She nodded and let him drag her to the living room. They both sat on the couch and he grabbed her small hands in his own. "Was earlier okay?"

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, still smiling. "Of course it was."

Blake gave her an uncertain look. "Just this morning you were still having nightmares about Gray. Are you really okay with all this? Is it okay for something to happen between us? I need to know that you're ready."

Lucy shook her head and hugged him. "Don't be silly. Of course it's okay. If it wasn't I wouldn't be encouraging this, would I?" she asked.

"I guess not," Blake laughed. He pushed Lucy back enough to press a quick kiss to her forehead. "So does that mean you're my girlfriend?"

Lucy giggled and nodded, snuggling into his side.

In the kitchen, Lyon scrubbed a plate so hard that it snapped in half. The glass cut his hand but he didn't even notice. He didn't understand how Lucy could date Blake. She was just going on about Gray and how much she'll miss him. He thought that they had a true heart-to-heart. He had called her his sister! Some sister she is if she moves on from his brother at the drop of a hat, forgetting two months of intense love for a guy she's known less than a week.

"I'll never forgive you, Lucy. Not until the day the dead rise."

X

A week had passed since Blake arrived, and everyone was doing pretty well. Blake was fitting in, Gray was just a part of everyone's tragic pasts, and even Gildarts and Harcos were being accepted. And, naturally, Natsu would lay his claim on Blake, just as he did with every new member of the guild.

"I want this to be a clean fight!" Mira hollowered over the field, mainly speaking to Natsu. "When your opponent admits defeat or is unable to continue, the match is over!"

Natsu cracked his knuckles, grinning wickedly at Blake. Blake stood there calmly, holding his dagger at his side. Fairy Tail was sitting far away, shouting in excitement for the match. Lucy and Wendy sat at the judge's table, where Mira would join them after the match started.

"Ready? Go!"

Blake jumped back twenty feet, getting some distance to assess Natsu. The latter dove right in, igniting his flames and charging. Blake initially put his fist in his hand, something only Lucy caught. He quickly drew his sword and blocked Natsu's fists.

"You're not getting off that easy!" Natsu shouted. He increased his flames, engulfing both of them.

Blake's jaw clenched due to the heat of the flames. "Meteor Blade!" he shouted.

A beam of magic energy shot out of his katana, shoving Natsu back fifty yards. He hit the ground many times before landing. He used his arm to pull himself up, his body shaking.

"What was that?" Mira asked, her eyes wide. "That was so powerful."

"It's Meteor Blade," Lucy said, shaking her head in disbelief. "It's a spell the Spirit King possess."

"Is that all you've got?" Blake yelled. He crouched on the ground before launching himself forward, landing in front of Natsu. He jammed his hilt into Natsu' shoulder, making the pinkette cry out.

"That's enough!" Natsu jumped up, his fists turned to flames again. He swung at Blake again.

"Hydrus!" Blake yelled, holding up his sword once more. Ribbons of light shot out, winding around Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer struggled, but he couldn't break free. Blake held his sword with both hands with the blade pointed towards the sky. "Galaxia Blade!"

A pillar of late came down, showing over Natsu. He squinted his eyes shut and screamed, the light too intense for him. He increased his flames, trying to burn away the light, but to no avail.

Blake closed his eyes and dropped his sword. Pure magic energy swirled at his feet.

"Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens,

"All the stars, far and wide,

"With such shine,

"Oh Tetrabiblos,

"I am the ruler of the stars,

"Aspect become complete,

"Open thy malevolent gate,

"Oh 88 Stars of the Heavens,

"Shine!

"Urana Metria!"

"There's no way!" Lucy gasped, jumping from her seat. She and Wendy ran to Natsu just as the pinkette fell to the ground, unconscious. Wendy began healing Natsu. Lucy looked over and saw that Blake was having trouble standing, so she ran over to catch him. He fell limp in her arms.

Gajeel and Elfman came over, ready to help the girls. Elfman grabbed Natsu and went back to the guild, Wendy healing him on the way. Mira soon followed, having Jet and Droy carry the table and chairs the "judges" were sitting at. Everyone else helped to grab the picnic tables from the guildhall and carry them back. Soon it was just Levy, Gajeel, Lucy, and Blake.

"That was really intense," Gajeel laughed. He picked Blake up and threw him over his shoulder. "I'll start heading back to your house."

Levy thanked Gajeel as he walked away. After he was gone from sight, she and Lucy began walking back. They picked a comfortable pace, letting the silence enveloped them. When the crunch of leaves became too much, Levy had to ask Lucy what she was dying to know.

"Is there anything going on between you and Blake?" she asked hesitantly, not sure what kind of reaction she'd get out of the blonde.

Lucy nodded. "We decided to date," she said.

Levy's mouth fell open. "Seriously?" She stopped walking and grabbed her best friend's shoulders. "You know that I love you and I'd support any decision you make, but really, Lu? You moved on so quickly."

"I haven't moved on at all," Lucy confessed. She noticed the bluenette's confused face. "I have something to tell you, but you have to promise not to say anything to anyone, not even master."

Levy smiled. "You can tell me anything, Lu, you know that."

Lucy took a big breath. "I think that Gray and Blake are the same person."

Levy gasped.

"Hear me out!" Lucy pleaded. "Think about it! They both have so much in common, they look similar, and Blake appears right after Gray 'dies', claiming not to remember his past? And look at his powers! I think something happened and Gray was pulled into the Celestial Spirit World, he gained some power, his looks changed, memories altered, and boom! Here he is!"

"That's actually...not crazy," Levy said slowly. She started laughing. "That's genius!" She hugged her best friend. "Gray's here! Gray's alive!"

The both smiled, happy that there was a chance Gray was alive.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Bubble Bath**_

"You summoned me, King?" Loke dropped to his knee. "How may I service you?"

"I need your help," the King said slowly. "And your guidance."

Loke was surprised. "For what do I owe this honor?"

"Raise your head," the King laughed. "Stop acting so formal. I'm asking this of you as a friend."

"Right." Loke stood back up.

"Leo, you are a loyal lion. Your purpose in life is to protect those that you love. You do everything in your power and then some to protect your precious Master, am I wrong?"

"No, Sir."

The Celestial King smiled. "And you did this. You protected your master the best you could. This time, it was her heart."

"Pardon?" Loke was starting to get confused.

"Gray Fullbuster."

He flinched at the mentioning of his best friend.

"That man holds your Master's heart. So, you protect this man as well, something that you did a little too well."

"I'm not following." Loke didn't understand. "Gray died. I let him die! I never helped him!"

"You're wrong," the King said with a booming voice. "There are spells in Earthland that are activated without the knowledge of the caster to protect those dear to them, such as Fairy Sphere. The Celestial Spirit World possess such power, as well."

Loke's eyes widened. "Gray didn't die?"

"Correct. Although the spell you activated is typically used to protect a Celestial Spirit Mage, there are exceptions, such as this case. The spell is called Ten no Toransupota, or the Celestial Transporter."

"Wait, I've heard of that. It's how silver keys came to be, right? The Zodiacs used this spell and it turned their masters into Spirits, right? That's why Celestial Wizards slowly started disappearing."

"It seems like that is what happened to your friend, Gray."

X

Lucy sighed as she ran her fingers through Blake's hair. _Even feels like Gray's._

"Lucy!" Loke gasped, appearing without being summoned.

"Shh!" Lucy hushed him. "Blake's sleeping!"

"No he's not," Loke said, shaking his head. "He's out of magic and needs to go to the Celestial Spirit World to recover."

Lucy's eyes widened. "He's a spirit?"

Loke shook his head. "He's not just any spirit."

"What do you mean?"

Loke sat down beside Lucy and grabbed her hand. "I'm going to tell you something that's very difficult to say and I"m sure it's harder to hear.

"Long ago, the King of the Stars made twelve constellations in the sky. A group of ancient monks worshipped these stars, and over the course of thousands of years these monks gave the stars power. Eventually, the stars manifested and became Zodiac Spirits. These spirits were distributed among all the groups of monks. They were used to start wars. Angry at their masters, these spirits rebelled. They created a spell to overthrow their masters. They sent them to the Spirit World and they, too, became spirits. That's the story of how Silver Keys were created."

"Wow," Lucy said in amazement. "I never knew that. But what's that have to do with Blake?"

"The spell has been long since forgotten, but occasionally a spirit will feel so strongly for their master that they are prepared to give the ultimate sacrifice. A Spirit can't die, but the emotions can activate the spell without meaning to. If I were to try to protect you from a situation where you were going to die, it could even be activated then and you'd become a Spirit with a Silver Key. While it may work with Celestial Wizards, humans on the other hand…"

"Gray!" Lucy gasped. "I knew it!"

Loke nodded. "We have no records of this happening with a normal mage, one that doesn't possess Celestial powers. We aren't certain how to get Blake back to the Celestial World, but when we do, the King and I believe a key will appear and when used, Gray will come instead of Blake.

Lucy nodded in determination. She took a deep breath, summoning power. She rested a hand on Blake's forehead, her eyes beginning to glow. "Gate of the Light Wielder, Hikari! Force close!"

There was a bright light, then Blake started to disappear. Before long, he was gone completely.

Loke's eyes were wide. "How did you know to do that?" he asked in amazement.

She shrugged. "Hikari means light."

X

"Nothing like a relaxing bath to calm your nerves," Levy said, sighing in relief.

"We need to do this more often," Lisanna agreed.

Wendy, Carla, Levy, Lisanna, Cana, Mira, and Lucy all went to the Strauss' house to have a bath together, since they had the largest tub. They had relaxing music playing, drinks and snacks, and so many bubbles that they were floating around in the air.

"I think we all deserve this," Mira said, sinking into the water further. "We've all been under so much stress lately."

"Wendy wouldn't be so stressed out if a certain Dragon Slayer stopped picking fights," Carla puffed, crossing her small arms.

All the girls laughed, making more bubbles fly into the air.

"You sent Happy after Lyon, right?" Levy asked.

"Oh, yes!" Mira laughed. "I made an official flyer and everything! The reward was ten fish!"

Lucy laughed, too. "Lyon went home a week ago and I need him here." She locked eyes with Levy, who nodded in understanding.

"So where did Blake run off to?" Lisanna asked, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

Lucy and Levy shifted uncomfortably.

"You didn't scare him off, did you?" Cana shouted, waving her beer in the air.

There was a small flash of light and Virgo appeared in the water. She was wearing a bathing suit like the rest of the girls. "Princess," she said. "Master Blake has officially left, leaving Master Gray in his place. Loke asked me to deliver his key to you. You may summon him tomorrow by noon. Thank you." She handed Lucy the key before disappearing.

All the girls were confused about what Virgo meant, but they decided to see which Key was giving first. They crowded around the blonde, wanting to see which Spirit it was for.

The head of the key was in the shape of a heart, a picture of an icicle in the center. There was a note attached, which Lucy read to everyone. " 'Your Ice Prince is waiting to be summoned'."

A tear slipped down Lucy's cheek.

"Gray's alive."


	7. Chapter 7

**So here's the last chapter! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and supported this story. I'll be PMing the reader after this chapter.**

 **Please Review!**

* * *

 _ **What if?**_

At noon the next day, everyone was waiting with anticipation at the guild. The only people missing were Lyon and Happy, both whom had no idea of what was going to happen.

"Are you ready?" Levy asked, squeezing Lucy's hand for support.

Lucy nodded and smiled. She took a deep breath and held Gray's key out.

"Open Gate of the Ice Prince: Gray!"

There was a cloud of smoke. As it cleared, everyone slowly began to see Gray. The hair, his necklace shimmering in the light, the tips of his toes, and then him. Gray was standing there wearing only a pair of jeans. A wide grin broke across his face when he saw Lucy. He pulled her to him, kissing her like she was the only thing keeping him alive. The whole guild was going crazy, cheering and fighting and hugging.

The guildhall doors opened. "Gray?"

Lucy knew that Lyon and Happy were back, so she let Gray go. He looked towards the door and froze. He hadn't expected to see Lyon, but he was glad his brother was there. The two ran towards each other, and, when they finally came close enough, punched each other in the face.

"Don't ignore me for a year then act sad!"

"Don't ever die on me again!"

Lyon began crying and pulled Gray towards him, holding him close. "Seriously, don't ever die again."

Lucy stepped forward and hugged the two. Levy joined in. Gajeel followed, as did Natsu. Soon the whole guild was giving one big hug. There was laughter, smiles, and tears. They all had their stripper back.

X

Later that night, Lucy was also happy to have her stripper back. Loke had already told her that if she breaks his key he won't be a spirit anymore, so she happily did so. Right after they went home to celebrate.

Now they were laying in bed together, their bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces. They were sitting in silence simply enjoying that they were with each other again. They would rub arms, tug at each other's hair, or just nuzzle into each other's neck. They had been apart for what felt like an eternity.

"You know, I remember everything about Blake," Gray confessed.

"Really?" Lucy asked. "That's surprising because when you were him you didn't remember anything."

Gray nodded. "I know it's weird and backwards, but I remember it all now. Even that kiss you two shared."

Lucy flushed. "I was kissing you!"

Gray's eyes cast downwards. "You may have known it was me, but if I died, would you be able to move on like that? I mean, wasn't that what you did? Move on?"

"No!" Lucy sat up and grabbed his face in her hands. "Don't _ever_ say that! The only reason I let that happen between Blake and I was because I knew it was you. I'll never get over you, no matter what happens. I love you to the stars and back and nothing can change that. There's no 'what ifs" about it!"

Gray smiled and shook his head. "I'm just being weird. Come here."

He pulled her down to him and kissed her, knowing that she was the girl he'd spend the rest of his life with.


End file.
